Back traction device

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method permitting a user to perform traction of the back is provided. The design includes a seat bottom and seat back. The seat back is configured to pivot about the seat bottom enabling the seat back to recline while rotating away from the seat bottom. An adjustable strap is positioned in association with the seat back for the purpose of securing the user&#39;s upper body. An adjustable strap is positioned in association with the seat bottom for the purpose of securing the user&#39;s lower body, buttocks and hips. A leg rest may be provided to support the user&#39;s legs. A locking mechanism may be provided to permit the user to easily sit down, engage the lower body and upper body straps, release the locking mechanism and recline backwards from a seated to a supine position thereby providing traction and providing decompression of the of the spinal column.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

It has long been known that back pain is a common and persistent problemfor a very large number of people. It is one of the most common reasonsto visit a doctor, among the most common reasons to miss work and verydebilitating to anyone suffering from this condition. For many yearsdoctors, inventors, chiropractors, fitness instructors, yogapractitioners and others have sought to find a way to minimize back painto any degree and for any length of time. There is no known cure forback pain but a regimen of exercise, muscle stabilization techniques,yoga or stretching and rest seem to be the most effective regimen totreat chronic back pain. Surgery can be an option for back pain relatedto trauma but is not always effective for non-traumatic back pain; whichis the most common type.

Faced with chronic back pain, may individuals begin some type oftraction therapy. Traction therapy has its believers and doubters but itis generally accepted that traction therapy although not a cure for backpain is often helpful in minimizing daily back discomfort and when usedon a regular basis helps control the recurrence of lower back tightness,pain and discomfort. Present traction options are often times expensiveif administered in a doctor's or chiropractor's office and home tractiondevices are often times ineffective because of equipment short comingsor are difficult to operate and hazardous to use.

What the present invention provides is a device that will be easy touse, easy to engage, safe, effective and affordable. The problems withexisting traction devices are that they are difficult for many people touse, especially when experiencing the tightness, pain and lack ofmobility that accompanies back pain. One of the most prevalent backtraction devices is the inversion table and it is sold worldwide in themillions of units. This machine can be very difficult to use on asustained basis and has been associated with falling, glaucoma, extremeblood flow to the head and other debilitating and undesirable conditionsand situations. Nevertheless, in desperation, many individuals purchaseinversion tables with the hope of relief from back pain. The tractionaspect works for many people; the inversion does not. Other devices aretable type traction devices that can be set up on the floor or on a bedand have straps that wrap around the patent's hips and torso. Apneumatic cylinder actuated by a pump driven by the patient's handsspreads the two halves of the table and attempts to apply traction tothe patient. The concept would appear to be a good approach but thebelts are unable to effectively grasp the patient's body because of theinadequate strap design and routing resulting in the strap's inabilityto hold the body against a mostly flat surface and therefore the strapeither slips relative to the body or the patient's clothing moves butthe spinal column does not elongate and so little decompression of thespine takes place. This type of traction is also difficult to get in andout of since it requires the user to get down on their knees when usingthe device on the floor or crawl around on hands and knees whenattempting to use this type of machine on a bed or elevated surface.

What is needed is a device that is easy to get into, comfortable to use,not dangerous and most important, effective. The present inventionaddresses and solves all of these problems very effectively. The presentinvention is as easy to engage as sitting in a chair. It is as safe aslaying in a lawn chair and is very effective at applying traction andeffective decompression of the lower spine. The essence of the inventionis the unique ability of permitting the patient to sit in a chair likedevice, apply a torso engaging strap that is specifically designed andshaped to effectively grab the patient's torso. When seated a uniquelydesigned lower strap is configured to wrap around the rear of thebuttocks in the sacral areal of the lower back, around the sides of thehips and over the thighs to an anchor post in between the patient'slegs. When the patient leans back, the upper and lower body strap moveaway from each other and decompression is applied to the patient's lowerspine. The action of moving from a seated position to a supine positionwith a strap that effectively grabs the patient's buttocks, hips andlower body and a strap that grabs the upper body and pulls the patient'supper body away from the lower body as the patient leans back is theessence of the present invention. It is very effective, very comfortableand very easy to administer.

No other traction device is able to provide this safety, effectivenessand ease of access. Regardless of age or physical impairment, thepresent invention will provide some amount of relief for sufferers ofback discomfort to the extent that traction is able to provide therapy.

Description of the Related Art

There are many types of methods and apparatus that involve some type ofstretching of the spine generally in the lumbar region of the lowerback. These methods do not cure back pain but they have proven to beeffective in some cases to minimize and control back pain. There aremany devices that position or manipulate the body to result in spinalelongation. An inversion table is among the most common. In this devicethe patient, while standing, positions themselves against a table whichis mounted such that it can pivot and place the patient at variousangles of inversion. The patient locks his or her ankles into theinversion table and then, after adjusting for their height, leans backand begins to hang inverted, upside down, so that gravity acting on theweight of the body causes the spinal column and essentially the entirebody from the ankles downward to stretch depending on the angle ofinversion. This is said to be effective and has shown positive resultsin some patients but is sometimes difficult to use and iscontra-indicated for people with glaucoma or high blood pressure. Theamount of time a person can be in this position is limited and variesfrom person to person. Some elderly or infirm individuals may find itdifficult or uncomfortable to use and to be in what is to many anawkward position.

Other devices seek to apply traction by positioning the patient in aseated position with legs bent and feet hooked under constraints to keepthe body in place. Then the entire chair is inverted and the personhangs upside down like the standing inversion tables. But in this caseit is mostly the upper body that is subjected to the stretching causedby the weight of the body and gravity. Again, with this procedure it isuncomfortable for some and cannot be used by individuals with certainhealth conditions as mentioned above.

Traction can be applied in many ways; hanging upside down, partiallyupside down, laying in a supine or prone position while having the upperand lower parts of the body pulled in opposite directions, bending overan object either in a supine or prone position or leaning over an objectin a kneeling position. Also, yoga and many stretching exercises andmanipulation by a masseuse, doctor, therapist or chiropractor are usedto initiate decompression of the spine. In this instance we will usetraction to mean any means of gently, through the use of a device,elongating the spinal column for the purpose of minimizing pain orrelaxing muscles or inducing a relaxed state of the body in order tominimize the pain associated with muscle spasms or back discomfort.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed at therapy for individuals sufferingfrom lower back discomfort. There are an estimated 80% of the populationwith some form of lower back discomfort worldwide. 30% of Americans atany given time will experience some type of lower back discomfort. Lowerback pain is second only to the common cold as a reason to visit adoctor. Surgery is only appropriate for approximately 5% of those whoexperience chronic back pain. Lower back pain is a very large problemworldwide and continues to be a problem. Back pain costs $50 billiondollars annually in the U.S.

The incentive is strong to find a means to minimize the discomfort ofback pain for literally millions of people and many years and manymethods have been tried some with varying amounts of success. Thepresent invention addresses the problem of back pain by what is referredto as traction therapy.

Traction has been around for a long time and there are many machines anddevices that hope to apply traction to individuals with back pain. Manyof these processes and devices are complicated or expensive and some arecontra-indicated for individuals with other medical issues along withtheir back pain. Many of the devices available are difficult to apply toindividuals because of their structure.

The second type of traction device, the table, is easier use than theinversion table and is commonly used in therapist's offices andchiropractor's and doctor's offices. Because sessions in doctor'soffices are expensive, a market for home use traction devices has beenaround for several years and is growing. Typical home use devices arescaled down traction tables that are operated by pneumatic cylinders,are usually used on the floor or on the bed, are portable and have twoflat surfaces with belts that respectively wrap around the person'storso and hips and when the two flat surfaces move away from each otherunder the force of the pneumatic cylinder, traction is applied theperson's spine.

The problem with this type of device is the table is still difficult toget on to, it is difficult to securely grab the person with the strapswhen the platform surface is essentially flat, and the straps slide upthe person's torso and down the hips before grabbing the body so thedevice moves apart but little decompression of the spine takes place.Also, the person using a pneumatic device like this has to pump the pumpwhile laying on their backs on the table; a difficult task in itself.The more common experience when using the portable pneumatic device isthe removal of the person's pants because the person lying flat on aflat surface with a belt wrapped around the hips does not provide anadequate body part, when in this position, for the lower strap to grab.

There are other types of traction devices. Some are worn around thewaist and buttocks with expansion means such as pneumatic cylinders ormechanical jacking mechanisms to push the two respective halves apartand can be worn while standing. Some devices are like a gently humpedcurved surface which the person lies upon face-up with the humpedsurface in the middle of their back causing their back to be stretchedover the curved surface.

The present invention is directed toward providing a means for applyingtraction or what has become referred to as spinal decompression that iseffective, easy to apply and within a range of expense that will let thedevice be suitable for either in home use or clinical use. The presentinvention addresses all the problems presented by the above mentionedtraction devices. The present invention does not invert the user so iteliminates any contra-indicated medical conditions that would preventpersons from using it. The present invention allows the user to simplysit down on the seat and attach the hip and buttock's strap to securethe lower body and the torso strap wrapped under the rib cage to securethe upper body. The present invention does not require pneumatic orhydraulic pressure to apply the traction although both could be a partof various embodiments of the present invention. The preferredembodiment of the present device relies on the user's body position inconjunction with the design of the device to apply an adjustable andprogressive amount of traction to the user's spine. The spectrum ofpresently available traction devices ranges from ineffective touncomfortable, from expensive to unpleasant and still the need persistsfor an effective, affordable spinal traction device.

The present invention addresses and remedies all of these problems. Thepresent invention is easy to use, inexpensive, uncomplicated andeffective at applying spinal traction.

Operation of the Device

To use the invention in its preferred embodiment the individual sits onthe seat with feet on the ground. Then he or she reaches down to eachside of their thighs and removes the lower body strap loops from theloop securing posts at the outside of each thigh. After removing thestrap loops from their brackets, the individual would place each strapover each thigh and connect the loops to the securing anchor pointsbetween the knees at the front edge of the seat by placing the elasticloops over the anchor points. This aspect of the present invention isvery important in the operation of the back traction device. The strapscome around from behind the individual's buttocks at the base of thespine and extend over the individual's thighs and towards the front ofthe knees where they are secured at the anchor points at the front edgeof the seat between the individual's knees. This strap configurationgrabs onto the individual's lower body, hips and buttocks and is one ofthe key components in the effective use of the back traction device. Thestrap grabs the user and pulls on the lower body in such a manner as torestore the anatomically correct arch in the user's lower spine.Elastomers may be added to the end of the strap and secured to theanchor points. These stretchable elastomers allow the device to be tunedto the amount of spinal stretch desired as the user leans back. Althoughnot a requirement for the safe operation of the invention, theelastomers may also help protect the user from injury by removing theshock of reclining too quickly or too far. Varying strength elastomersmay be suggested for different body weight individuals or individualsthat want more or less decompression applied to their spine relative tothe amount of recline of the device.

Now the individual will reach down and slightly behind their back ateach side and grasp the torso strap. Then, take the torso strap and wrapit around their waist just below the ribcage and connect the straptogether by overlapping the male and female Velcro portions of thestrap. Many types of straps and securing devices may be used. In thisembodiment, Velcro is used but any means of connecting the strapstogether that provides some type of adjustment that allows for snuggingof the strap against the body would work. As the individual reclines theupper body is moved away from the seat towards the rear. The elastomersstretch and while stretched attempt to pull the lower body back towardsthe front of the seat. The elastomers may be of differing strengthsfurther allowing the adjustment of the amount of traction applied duringthe use of the device.

The preferred embodiment may include a heated pad at the base of thespine to add comfort and relax the muscles at the initiation oftraction.

Now the individual is ready to begin the traction procedure. Theindividual will reach down with his heal while sitting upright andrelease the locking mechanism that will then permit the seat back torecline. Once the locking mechanism has been released the individualwill begin to lean back against the seat back while gently unweightingthe legs and feet. This will cause the user to recline and the legs toraise upward. Gently raising the legs will allow for the individual togradually recline towards a supine position. The more the individuallifts or un-weights the legs the further back the upper body willrecline.

As the upper body reclines, because the strap engaging the upper bodytorso area is fixed to the seat back at a location removed from thepivot point between the seat back and the seat and because the buttocksand lower body are engaged by the lower strap and constrained by theanchor point forward of the seat and between the operator's legs, as theoperator reclines to a supine position the upper body strap moves adistance away from the front anchor point which is securing theoperator's lower body and buttocks and therefore exerting a pullingmotion on the operator's upper body relative to the buttocks and lowerbody causing a gentle decompression of the spinal column at the base ofthe spine. The greater the recline, the greater movement of the torsostrap relative to the lower body and buttocks strap resulting inelongation of the flexible elastomers anchored to the front anchorpoint. The stretched elastomers exert a continuous force on theoperator's lower body and buttocks pulling the lower body away from theupper body which is constrained and held in place by the upper bodystrap resulting in a gentle and pleasing stretching of the lower backand traction effect applied to the lower back and spinal cord. There areseveral possible location points for the upper body torso strap awayfrom the pivot point. Adjustable straps are attached to the torso strapto raise or lower the torso strap toward or away from the pivot pointbetween the seat and seat back allowing for adjustment for differentsized individuals.

The action of reclining the seat back relative to the seat while theuser is constrained respectively to the seat back by the torso strap andthe front anchor points by the lower strap initiates the decompressionof the spine. Gravity naturally encourages the operator to recline oncethe latch mechanism is released and the operator begins to allow his orher body to recline. In the preferred embodiment, the connecting linkagebetween the seat back and foot support is adjustable in order to balancethe operator's upper and lower body weight distribution so that theoperator may gently recline and gently stretch the lower spine.

The individual will continue to lean back until he or she is in a supineposition. At this position maximum traction is applied to the lower backand spine. The individual may reach his hands back over his head toattain maximum recline of the backrest.

There are many ways to initiate traction or the decompression of thespinal column as the user reclines from a seated position to a supineposition. In the preferred embodiment the user's spine is stretched bydegree depending on the amount of recline, the location of the upperbody strap and the strength of the elastomers. Separation of the lowerbody and upper body could also be accomplished by various rods,linkages, ropes and sheave mechanisms that would engage the upper orlower strap, pull one or both away from the other and initiatedecompression as the user reclines from the seated to the supineposition. For example, the lower body strap could be connected by cablefrom the strap, over a pulley located between the operator's knees anddownward towards the floor to a an anchor point, weight, spring or someother means of resisting or applying pressure to the cable and therebystretching the operator's lower back and spine as the operator reclines.The upper body strap could be pulled upon in a similar manner byattaching a cable to the upper body strap and running it toward the rearof the device over a sheave and anchored to an anchor point, elastomeror some other means to apply tension to the cable as the user reclines,pulling the upper body strap away from the lower body strap and therebyapplying stretching, traction or decompression to the operator's lowerback and spinal column. The present invention is intended to include anyand all linkages, cables, ropes, sheaves and devices that initiatedecompression of the spinal column as the user's upper body and lowerbody are stretched by confining straps as the user reclines from aseated to a supine position.

In the preferred embodiment and for the comfort of the user a legsupport is provided that raises the user's legs as the user reclines.The device, for the purpose of traction of the back, would work equallyas well without the leg support. The user while seated could secure thelower strap at the anchor point, the upper strap under the ribcage andlean back to initiate the desired amount of traction. Or, in the sameposition and configuration of the device but with the addition ofmechanical controls such as a hydraulic cylinder and control station,attach upper and lower straps and initiate traction of the spine as theuser reclined from a seated to a supine position.

Depending on the desired amount of time the operator desires to be intraction or stretching of the lower back and spine, the individual mayterminate the stretching action of the device by reaching down with eachhand to the handles at each side of the seat and while gently weightingthe legs and bending the head and body forward, gradually return to anupright seated position.

To increase the amount of traction the individual may desire to increasethe tension in the lower strap by taking up the slack in the strap. Nowas the individual leans back in a similar manner as the initial effortthe amount of resistance of the elastic loops or elastomers will begreater, the reclining motion will be resisted to a slightly greaterdegree and the amount of decompression of the spine will be increased.The individual may repeat this process several times to achieve theperfect amount of spinal stretch. This can be at the direction of thedoctor or chiropractor or can be to a specified stretch of the elasticbands. Elastic bands of different elasticity may be used to provide moreor less resistance.

During this process the individual will spend some amount of time in theapplied traction position. The time in traction can vary and will dependon the individual. The individual may spend several minutes all the wayreclined in a supine position or the individual may go through a seriesof reclines and upright maneuvers, whichever may be preferable, for sometypes of therapy especially under the direction of a doctor orchiropractor or physical therapist.

When the applied traction is to be terminated, the individual will puthis or her hands on the handles at each side of the seat and pull theirbody upward while applying gentle weight to the legs and leaning thehead and body forward to return to an upright position. In the uprightposition the locking mechanism will secure the leg support and backrestin a locked position. The individual will remove the torso constraintand drop it down to the side and then release the lower body strap atthe anchor points between the knees and place the elastic loops at thedocking stations at each side of the thighs. Finally, the user willrotate the lower body strap anchor point forward, down and out of theway to enable easy departure from the invention.

The individual is now free to stand up and feel the relaxed feelingthroughout the lower back and experience a relief from lower backdiscomfort.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention as presentedabove relies on the individual to initiate reclining of the seat backrelative to the seat, the device would work equally as well with ahydraulic cylinder, pneumatic cylinder or linear actuator to recline theseat back and or raise the leg support if a leg support is provided.Control means to limit, position or extend the amount of recline may beprovided. In this embodiment of the present invention traction could beadministered under the supervision of a doctor, chiropractor ortherapist. The patient's involvement would be passive regarding theamount of recline and stretch and would permit medical or professionalpersonnel to administer the procedure. In this embodiment the linearactuator, hydraulic cylinder or pneumatic cylinder may be attached tothe linkage arm or to the leg support or seat back and when extended orretracted would initiate the reclining of the seat back relative to theseat and initiate traction.

There is elastic material between the torso strap and the lower bodystrap. This elastic material keeps the lower body strap in the correctposition to wrap around the user's buttocks, hips and thighs but is ableto stretch as the lower body strap moves away from the torso strap asthe user reclines the seat back.

In the preferred embodiment the seat back support tube is separated intotwo sections to facilitate packaging. Because the seat back support tubeconnection is separated into two pieces a locating rotational stop screwis located in the upper section of the two piece seat back tube. Thepurpose of this screw is for proper rotational alignment of the twosections of tube so that the seat back pans are in essentially the sameplane and to resist rotation of one section of the seat back tuberelative to the other.

Both the upper and lower straps are adjustable both in their ability tosecure the upper and lower parts of the user's body and also adjustablerelative to the seat bottom and seat back to accommodate different sizeusers.

The lower strap anchor point rotates forward and downward to move out ofthe way when the user gets on and off the device. This is an importantfactor in the ease of use of the back traction device. It may be foundto be more comfortable to have the lower strap extend forwardhorizontally after coming over the thighs and forwardly to the anchorpoint between the user's legs. At the same time it is convenient to beable to move the anchor point downward and out of the way to facilitategetting on and off of the seat without bumping into the anchor point.

In the preferred embodiment the seat bottom cushion and seat backcushions are padded. It may be preferable to make the seat bottom andseat back out of webbing stretched over a tubular frame. The use of padsand seat back and bottom pans are not intended to limit the many waysthe user may be able to be comfortably seated.

In the preferred embodiment the seat back cushions and correspondingseat back pans are adjustable up and down relative to the seat back tubefor optimum comfort.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the present invention in the uprightposition.

FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of the present invention in the reclinedposition.

FIG. 3 is a pictorial view of the present invention in the uprightseated position from behind and beneath.

FIG. 4 is a pictorial view of the present invention in the reclinedposition from beneath and to the right.

FIG. 5 is a left side view of the present invention in the uprightposition with an individual shown in dotted lines.

FIG. 6 is a left side view of the present invention in the reclinedposition with an individual shown in dotted lines.

FIG. 6A is a left side view of the present invention in both the uprightand reclined position with an individual shown in dotted lines.

FIG. 7 is a view of the locking mechanism for the leg support shown inthe locked position or dotted in the unlocked position.

FIG. 8 is a rear view of the invention showing the seat backs and thestrap anchors and the top straps of the upper body strap and its abilityto be adjusted through the “D” rings to accommodate different sizeusers.

FIG. 9 is a downward view of the seat bottom, lower strap withelastomers looped over anchor points and anchor point support tube shownin the upright position and the leg rest shown in the upright position.

FIG. 10 shows elastic material between the upper body strap and thelower body strap in the relaxed position.

FIG. 11 shows the ability of elastic material between the upper bodystrap and the lower body strap to stretch as the upper body strap ismoved away from the lower body strap.

FIG. 12 shows the ability of the present invention to recline from theseated position to the supine or reclined position with the operatordotted in for reference.

FIG. 13 shows the various movements of the straps, elastomers and theoperator as the invention reclines from the upright seated to thereclined supine position. The operator's body position can be seen toshift relative to the seat back as the invention reclines.

FIG. 14 shows a side view of the present invention indicating theability of elastomers to stretch at “A” and “C.

FIG. 15 shows a side view of the invention in the upright position withhydraulic actuator between the vertical support and the seat back tubein the collapsed on non-extended position.

FIG. 16 shows a side view of the present invention in the reclinedposition with the hydraulic actuator between the vertical support andthe seat back tube in the extended position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Many materials would be well suited for the manufacturer of the presentinvention and many processes for manufacturing would be possible to makethe present invention. The following description of the invention is oneof many possible embodiments of the present invention and is put forthas a preferred embodiment but not as by limitation to a particularmaterial or process of manufacturer.

It will be appreciated that the following description of the inventionis not in a particular order or sequence but one possible combination ofparts which will enable the structure of the invention to be produced.

FIG. 12 shows the individual in both the seated and reclined positionand will be referred to for the purpose of explaining in detail theoperation of the present invention. When the operator is seated, thelower strap 25 is wrapped around the sacral area of the operator's lowerback then wraps around the hips, extends over the thighs and connects tothe front anchor point 47 between the operator's legs in front of theseat 24. At this time the adjustable strap 25 may be slightly tightenedputting minimal tension in the elastomer loops 26 at the end of thestrap 25 on both sides where these loops attach to their respectiveanchor points 47. In FIG. 5, it will be noted that the operator's headis above the top back support pad 40 in this position and the torsostrap 27 is horizontal and essentially perpendicular to the operator'sbody at the waist and secured around the waist, in the preferredembodiment, just below the ribcage. In this position the operator's legswould be bent at the knees and the feet on or near the floor. As theoperator reclines the upper body strap 27, because it is attached to theseat back moves away from the anchor point 47 at the front of the seat24 pulling the operator's body along with it as it reclines; the greaterthe recline the greater the distance the upper body is pulled.Simultaneously, the lower body, buttocks and hips is pulled along withthe upper body along the seat and away from the anchor point 47. As thishappens, the lower strap 25, which is wrapped around the hips and sacralarea also attempts to follow the body and in so doing stretches theelastomer loops 26 at the ends of the lower body strap 25. As theelastomer loops 26 stretch, they try to return to their un-stretchedposition and in so doing exert a pulling motion on the lower body at thebuttocks and hips. While this is happening the torso strap 27 engagesthe upper body just below the ribcage and begins to pull on the upperbody and at the same time move the upper body away from the hips andbuttocks. The combination of the torso strap 27 pulling the upper bodyup and away from the front anchor point 47 and the elastomer loops 26 atthe ends of the lower body strap 25 pulling the lower body, buttocks andhips back to the front anchor point 47 puts the body in what is referredto as traction. Although significant movement occurs in the elastomerloops 26, the seat back 39 relative to the seat 24, the torso strap 27relative to the lower strap 25, only a few millimeters of movementoccurs in the spinal column. This movement provides decompression of thespinal column or traction of the spine. The present invention provides avery economical and effective device for providing traction and spinaldecompression for the millions of people afflicted with non-surgicallytreatable back pain.

In FIG. 5 tube 14 is attached to base support tube 13. Many processeswould permit this to be accomplished but in the preferred embodimenttube 14 is welded to base support tube 13. Similarly tube 11 is weldedto base support tube 12.

Plate 102, FIG. 5 is welded to the top of tube 14. Plate 111, identicalto 102 and not shown is welded similarly to top of tube 14 oppositeplate 102. Cap screws and nuts 101 attach plates 102 and 111 to forwardend of tube 23. In FIG. 5, the opposite or rearward end of tube 23 isattached to plate 104 and plate 106 not shown by welding. In FIG. 5,plate 105 is welded to ends of plates 104 and 106 respectively forming aboxed end of plates 104, 106 not shown and 105 respectively. Rear tubesupport 11 is inserted in between plate 104 and corresponding plate 106not shown on the opposite side and is locked into place by cap screw 120FIG. 4. In FIG. 5, the combination of tubes 11, 12, 13, 14 and 23 andplates 111, 102, 104, 106 and 105 along with cap screws and nuts 101 and120 make up the main support structure for the preferred embodiment ofthe present invention. It will be appreciated that this is one means ofproviding support for the invention but there could be many differentcombinations to attain the same result and nothing presented herein isto be seen as by limitation.

In FIG. 5, bracket 107 is welded to tube 23 and likewise bracket 108 iswelded to tube 23. Seat pan 22 rests on top of brackets 107 and 108 andis secured by pairs of cap screw and nut combinations 109 and 110, FIG.3. Pad 24 is attached to seat pan 22. Seat pan 22 along with pad 24 areconfigured to seat the individual and would be just one of many meansappropriate to support a person while seated on the present invention.In place of seat pan 22 and pad 24, webbing could be stretched around atubing framework to provide a seating area for the individual or aninjection molded or blow-molded plastic shape would be adequate toprovide seating for the individual while using the invention. In FIG. 3,a pair of handles 16 is attached on each side of seat pan 22 to begripped by the individual's hands when returning to an upright position.

In FIG. 3, tube 15 is pivotally connected to plate 104 and 106 bythrough shoulder bolt 100. In FIG. 3, Plate 19 is welded to bottom oftube 15. In FIG. 3, bolt 18 and spacer 60 (not shown) pivotally securerod end 21 to plate 19.

In FIG. 3, tube 39 is journaled to slide into the end of tube 15 and isheld in place by pinch bolt 9. A slot is machined into the end of tube15 to receive alignment pin (not shown) for the purpose of restrictingrotation of tube 39 relative to tube 15. In FIG. 3, four pairs ofbrackets 29, 30, 33 and 38 are welded one to each side, symmetrically totube 39 for the purpose of attaching backrests. The back rests 92, 93,94 and 95 are attached by cap screw and nut to brackets 29, 30, 33 and38 respectively.

In FIG. 3, backrest support tube 39 and lower tube 15 extend downwardlyand are pivotally connected to plates 104 and 106 by means of pivot bolt100. In FIG. 12, as tubes 15 and 39 along with back rest supports andupper torso strap 27 rotate reward about pivot bolt 100, torso strap 27moves a distance away from anchor point 47. Correspondingly lower strap25 moves away from anchor point 47 causing loops 26 to increase inlength as shown in FIG. 13, dimension “B′”. During the operation of thepreferred embodiment of the present invention, the user's upper body isgrasped generally just under the rib cage by torso strap 27. When theuser leans back, and the upper body is grasped by torso strap 27, whichin turn is secured to tube 39 at approximately seat back rest and padsupport bracket 33, the distance as indicated by dimension “B′”increases relative to anchor point 47. In FIG. 5, the user's lower bodyand pelvic area is grasped by lower strap 25 which wraps around theuser's body from the sacral area in the rear around the hips on eachside and over the thighs towards the front anchor points 47. In

FIGS. 10 and 11, strap 25 is able to slide through enclosed material 57,which holds lower strap 25 in position relative to elastic material 60which holds lower strap 25 in position around the hips and buttocks.Lower strap 25 is in turn secured to anchor point 47 by means ofstretchable connections 26 on each end of strap 25. Because the distance“B” increases as the user leans back and because the user's upper andlower body is grasped respectively by lower strap 25 and upper strap 27,the user's upper and lower body are gently pulled away from each otheras strap 27 moves away from strap 25. The actual elongation of theuser's spinal column is mere millimeters but the decompression of thevertebrae within the spinal column requires only a subtle movement topossibly provide temporary relief from the discomfort of back pain.

It will be appreciated that this movement of the torso away from thehips and lower body of the individual is what is generally referred toin the fields of medicine and physical therapy as traction or morerecently as decompression. Generally a small elongation of the spineover a short period of time will result in a feeling of comfort and afeeling of the release of muscle tension or spasming. A gentlestretching of the lower back is effected by the constraint of the torsostrap 27 securely fastened about the individual's lower torso just belowthe rib cage and the hip and lower body constraint 25 wrapped around theindividual's buttocks and hips from the sacral area in the rear of theback, forwardly around the hips and over the thighs to the anchor points47 in front of and between the user's legs as the individual leans backand the upper strap 27 moves away from the lower strap 25.

Pads are attached to back rests pans 92, 93, 94 and 95 which are in turnattached to brackets 29, 30, 33 and 38 respectively to provide paddingfor and engagement of the individual's back.

In FIG. 7, latch mechanism 59 is pivotally attached to tube 14 by pivotbolt 72 and is configured to engage latch pin 79 to keep the foot restfrom rising and the seat back from reclining before the individual isoutfitted with torso strap 27 and lower strap 25.

In FIGS. 3 and 6, tube 42 is pivotally is welded to plate 43 which ispivotally attached by means of through bolt 70. Bracket 50 is welded totube 90. Pan 51 is attached to bracket 50 by means of a cap screw andnut 52. A series of holes 46 are strategically placed in tube 90 for thepurpose of engaging the end of rod 45 by means of rod end 48 and pivotbolt 41. Rod end 48 and pivot bolt 41 are configured to permit rotationof rod 45 about holes 46. The opposite end of rod 45 is fitted with rodend 21. Through bolt 18 is connected to plate 19. The above combinationof tube 90, rod 45 and plate 19 which is attached to the lower end oftube 15, when the invention is put to use by an individual, permit thecontrolled reclining of backrest support tube 39 while leg support pad53 elevates with the individual's legs and the individual moves from aseated position to a supine position, FIG. 12.

In FIG. 6, it will be appreciated that the location of Rod ends 21 and48 located at opposite ends of rod 45 can be placed in differentlocations in tube 90 enabling the present invention to be adjusted toaccommodate individuals with different body characteristics. Anindividual with heavy upper body and light legs may require anadjustment that is different than an individual with light upper bodyand heavy legs. This adjustment is possible by selecting the correctlocation of pivot points for rod end 48 in the correct holes in tube 90.

In FIG. 3, spring 44 is attached to tube 90 and while the invention isin the upright position, spring 44 is in the non-stretched position. InFIG. 4, spring 44 is shown in the stretched position because theinvention is shown in the reclined position. It will be appreciated thattube 90 has a series of holes 46, where spring 44 may be attachedallowing the return pull force to be adjusted by means of moving theattachment point from one hole to another. More return pressure ispossible with the spring attached to the lower holes or the holes at agreater distance from the pivot point 70. The opposite end of spring 44is attached to plate 106 and pivot bolt 100, hidden from view in therespective figures.

The seat pan 22 and seat back pans 92, 93, 94 and 95 all have paddedcushions attached to provide comfort to the individual when using thepresent invention. It will also be appreciated that lower body strap 25is configured to slide back and forth through enclosing material 57 andwrap around the buttocks at the hips forward from the sacral area of thespine traversing around each side of the hips forwardly and over eachthigh to be anchored by elastomers 26 at anchor points 47. It will befurther appreciated that this routing of the lower body strap,effectively grasping the hips and buttocks is much more effective thanthe lower body strap presently available in the flat traction tablementioned above. This means of securing the hips and buttocks does notpermit slipping of the lower strap or encourage sliding of the pants ofthe user relative to the user's body. As the user reclines, the buttocksis pulled rearward following the upper body as it is pulled rearward bystrap 27 but the lower body strap 25 prohibits movement of the buttocksexcept to the extent that elastomers, pair 26 allow. Elastomers 26 maybe made of differing elasticity resulting in the ability to vary thereturn force applied to lower body strap 25 thereby applying a tensileforce on the lower body applied through the hips and buttocks.

In FIG. 10 it will be appreciated that torso strap 27 and lower bodystrap 25 are configured to be joined by elastic material 60. It will befurther appreciated that elastic material 60 holds lower body strap 25in proper vertical alignment with the user's body relative to torsostrap 27. As the user reclines, torso strap 27 moves away from anchorpoint 47, FIG. 6. Elastic material 60 is permitted to stretch relativeto lower body strap 25. As the user reclines, torso strap 27 pulls theuser's body away from anchor points 47. As the user's body is pulledaway from anchor points 47, lower body strap 25 maintains its grasp onthe user's lower body and begins to follow the user's body away fromanchor points 47. As lower body strap 25 moves away from anchor points47, elastomers 26 are stretched and begin to pull the user's lower bodyback toward anchor points 47 resulting in stretching of the lower backand spinal column.

In FIG. 6 it will be appreciated that anchor point support post 42 is inthe up position. In FIG. 1, anchor point support post 42 is in the downposition. Anchor point support post 42 is configured to pivot aboutpivot 70 to permit easy seating and standing and stepping away from thepresent invention. Pivot 70 permits anchor post 42 to rotate downwardand away from seat 24 making seating easier.

It will further be appreciated that the upper torso is held byadjustable strap 27 which may be securely wrapped around the lowerabdomen just below the ribcage. Strap 27 may be adjusted upward ordownward relative to seat back bracket 33 to accommodate different sizeusers. After successful adjustment, torso strap 27 may be tightenedcomfortably and securely about the waist of the user just below theribcage. It will be further appreciated that the combination of lowerbody strap 25, elastomers 26 and upper body strap 27 grasp the user'slower body and upper body slightly above and slightly below the waistand gently pull the user's upper body away from the user's lower bodyproviding a gentle stretching of the lower back and spinal columnresulting in the application of traction to the lower back and providingspinal decompression.

In FIGS. 15 and 16 hydraulic actuator 130 is shown in the non-extendedposition in FIG. 15 and the extended position in FIG. 16. It will beappreciated that by extending or collapsing hydraulic actuator 130, thepresent invention may be controlled by remote control administered by adoctor or therapist.

In FIGS. 15 and 16 bottom end of torso strap 27, designated in this partof strap assembly 27 as 61, is shown behind dotted lines attaching totube 15 by means of screw and flat washer 99. Screw and flat washer 99keep upper and lower strap assemblies 25 and 27 in proper orientationwhen the invention is not occupied by an individual and allow strap 25and strap 27 to be located properly relative the user's body when theuser sits down and places lower strap 25 around the hips, over thethighs and attached to anchor point 47 by means of elastomers 26. Thentorso strap 27 wraps around the upper body under the ribcage.

The assembly of the lower and upper body strap can be best appreciatedby studying FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16. In FIGS.1, 4 and others, straps 73 are shown sewn to upper body strap 27 nearthe top of the apex of the strap. The two straps 71 are clamped betweenseat back bracket 33 and seat back pan 94. “D” rings 74 are sewn to endsof straps 71 and the tops of back rest straps 73 are woven through “D”rings 74 to permit adjustment of upper body strap 27 by means of straps73 to accommodate different sized upper torsos. In the preferredembodiment, strap 27 has a male and female Velcro section at the distalends of the strap. This allows for the strap 27 to overlap and therebybe adjustable for individuals with different waist sizes. Sewn to thebottom of strap 27 just beneath the apex of the two lateral sections iselastic material 60. Elastic material 60 permits the lower strap 25 tobe held in the proper relation to the sacral area of the user's lowerback and also stretch to permit the upper body strap 27 to move awayfrom lower body strap 25 when the user reclines from a seated to asupine position. Strap 61, FIG. 10, is sewn to the bottom of elasticmaterial 60 and continues toward the bottom of seat back tube 15. InFIGS. 10 and 11, an envelope of material 57 is sewn around lower strap25 and 57 is in turn sewn to strap assembly 73 and 61. Envelope 57permits strap 25 to slide through envelope 57 permitting strap 25 to beadjusted. Strap 25 is adjustable to permit the amount of pull on thelower body to be adjusted to suit the amount of spinal decompression orthe amount of traction force applied to the lower back of the user. Asstrap 25 is progressively tightened, loops 26 stretch progressivelyfurther as the user reclines and his or her body is pulled away fromanchor points 47 causing stretched loops 26 to pull the lower body backtowards the anchor points 47 progressively harder and therefore create agreater amount of movement of the spinal column, greater decompressionand more stretching of the lower back. Strap assembly 61,non-stretchable, now continues downward as a single strap and attachesto lower seat back tube 15 at screw and washer 99. Anchor point 99 keepsthe upper and lower body straps in approximately the correct positionrelative to the user's body.

As the user reclines, loops 26 and elastic material 60 stretch in lengthfrom “B” to “B′” and from “C” to “C′” respectively, in FIGS. 14 and 13.

It will be appreciated that elastic material 60 is sufficiently strongto hold lower body strap 25 at the sacral area of the user's lower back.Elastic material 60 stretches as the user reclines permitting upper bodystrap 27 to move away from lower body strap 25.

Although in the preferred embodiment the upper body strap is securedabout the individual just below the ribcage this is not meant to be alimitation of the present invention. Any location of the upper bodystrap which enables the present invention to comfortably grasp theuser's upper body is considered to be part of the present invention.

In the preferred embodiment the upper and lower body strap assembly isvery important. The upper body strap is designed to drop downward as itcircles the user's upper body just under the ribs and encloses the torsoin the front of the user by means of the Velcro strap sections. Likewisethe lower strap is designed to wrap around lower body beginning at therear of the user's back at the sacral area around the hips and over thethighs and forward to the securing points at anchors 47. This path ofthe lower strap 25 effectively grasps the user's lower body in a mannerthat is comfortable, does not slip and helps maintain a correct arch tothe lower back.

The invention claimed is:
 1. The back-traction device including a frame,a seat bottom and a seat back and a first harness and second harnessand; said seat bottom fixedly attached to said frame and; said seat backand said frame including a first pivotal connection located behind saidseat and; said seat back configured to rotate about said first pivotalconnection and; said first pivotal connection permitting said seat backto recline and; a leg support and; said leg support and said framejoined by a second pivotal connection in front of said seat and; saidleg support configured to rotate about said second pivotal connectionand; said leg support and said seat back configured such that said legsupport extends upwardly as said seat back reclines and; including ananchor point and; said first harness configured for securing anindividual's buttocks and hips and; said second harness configured forsecuring an individual's torso and; said first harness configured to beconnectively engaged by said anchor point and; said second harnessconfigured to be connectively engaged with said seat back such that areclining motion of said seat back causes said second harness to moveaway from said first harness thereby pulling the individual's torso awayfrom the individual's buttocks and hips.
 2. The back traction device asin claim 1 including at least one anchor point and at least one saidharness for securing an individual's buttocks and hips and; at least onesaid harness for securing an individual's buttocks and hips configuredto maintain the individual's correct spinal arch and configured to wraparound the individual's sacrum at the rear of the individual's lowerback extending outwardly around the individual's hips and forwardly overthe individual's thighs and configured to be connected to said at leastone anchor point.
 3. The back traction device as in claim 2 wherein atleast one said harness for securing an individual's buttocks and hipsincludes a stretchable force resisting element and; said stretchable,force resisting element is engaged with said anchor point such that saidstretchable, force resisting element is permitted to stretch as force isapplied to said stretchable, force resisting element.
 4. The backtraction device as in claim 3 wherein said stretchable, force resistingelement is an elastic substance or device.
 5. The back traction deviceas in claim 4 wherein said elastic substance or device is of varyingresistance such that different amounts of resistance are possible. 6.The back traction device as in claim 1 including a releasable lockingmeans; said releasable locking means configured to prohibit reclining ofthe back traction device until said releasable locking means is releasedby the operator.
 7. The back traction device as in claim 1 including ameans for initiating reclining of said seat back and raising of said legsupport.
 8. The back traction device as in claim 7 wherein said means ofinitiating reclining of said seat back and raising of said leg supportis a hydraulic cylinder.
 9. The back traction device as in claim 7wherein said means of initiating reclining of said seat back and raisingof said leg support is a linear actuator.
 10. The back traction deviceas in claim 7 including a control means; said control means configuredto modulate the force applied to said means for initiating reclining ofsaid seat back and raising of said leg support.
 11. The back tractiondevice as in claim 1 including a means of connection between said seatback and said leg support and said leg support including a secondpivotal connection and said seat back including a second pivotalconnection wherein said means of connection between said leg supportsecond pivotal connection and said seat back second pivotal connectionis configured to be adjustable.
 12. The back traction device as in claim1 including an elastic substance or device configured to return saidseat back to the upright seated position in the absence of an operator.13. The back traction device as in claim 1 wherein the device isseparable into smaller individual parts for ease of packaging andeconomical shipment.
 14. The back traction device as in claim 1including means for adjusting location of at least one said harness forsecuring an individual's torso.
 15. The back traction device as in claim1 including an elastic substance or device and; said elastic substanceor device configured to connect at least one said harness for securingan individual's torso and at least one said harness for securing anindividual's buttocks and hips to provide optimum placement of saidtorso securing device and said pelvic securing device relative to theoperator.
 16. The back traction device as in claim 1 including a meansfor securing said lower body securing device a defined distance abovethe seat bottom.
 17. A back traction device as in claim 1 includingindependently adjustable back cushions.
 18. The back traction device asin claim 1 wherein said harness for securing an individual's torso andsaid harness for securing an individual's buttocks and hips areadjustable for different body sizes.
 19. The back-traction deviceincluding a frame, a seat bottom and a seat back and at least oneharness and; said seat bottom fixedly attached to said frame and; saidseat back and said frame including a first pivotal connection locatedbehind said seat and; said seat back configured to rotate about saidfirst pivotal connection and; said first pivotal connection permittingsaid seat back to recline and; including an anchor point and; includingat least one said harness for securing an individual's buttocks and hipsand; including at least one said harness for securing an individual'storso and; at least one said harness for securing an individual'sbuttocks and hips configured to engage the individual's lower body and;and at least one said harness configured for securing and individual'sbuttocks and hips to be engaged by said anchor point and; at least onesaid harness for securing an individual's torso configured to engageindividual's upper body and; at least one said harness for securing anindividual's torso configured to be associated with said seat back suchthat a reclining motion of said seat back causes said harness forsecuring an individual's torso to move away from said harness forsecuring an individual's buttocks and hips thereby pulling theindividual's torso away from the individual's buttocks and hips.
 20. Theback traction device as in claim 19 including a releasable lockingmeans; said releasable locking means configured to prohibit reclining ofthe seat back until said releasable locking means is released by theoperator.
 21. The back traction device as in claim 19 including a meansfor initiating reclining of said seat back.
 22. The back traction deviceas in claim 21 wherein said means of initiating reclining of said seatback is hydraulic cylinder.
 23. The back traction device as in claim 21wherein said means of initiating reclining of said seat back is a linearactuator.
 24. The back traction device as in claim 19 including acontrol means and; said control means configured to modulate the forceapplied to said means for initiating reclining of said seat back. 25.The back traction device as in claim 19 including an elastic substanceor device configured to return said seat back to the upright seatedposition in the absence of an operator.
 26. The back traction device asin claim 19 wherein the device is separable into smaller individualparts for ease of packaging and economical shipment.
 27. The backtraction device as in claim 19 including means for adjusting location ofat least one said harness for securing an individual's torso.
 28. Theback traction device as in claim 19 including an elastic substance ordevice and; said elastic substance or device configured to connect atleast one said harness for securing an individual's torso and at leastone said harness for securing an individual's buttocks and hips toprovide optimum placement of said torso securing device and said pelvicsecuring device relative to the operator.
 29. The back traction deviceas in claim 19 including a means for securing said lower body securingdevice a defined distance above the seat bottom.
 30. The back-tractiondevice including a frame, a seat bottom and a seat back and a firstharness and second harness and; said seat bottom fixedly attached tosaid frame and; said seat back and said frame including a first pivotalconnection located behind said seat and; said seat back configured torotate about said first pivotal connection and; said first pivotalconnection permitting said seat back to recline and; a leg support and;said leg support and said frame joined by a second pivotal connection infront of said seat and; said leg support configured to rotate about saidsecond pivotal connection and; said leg support and said seat backconfigured such that said leg support extends upwardly as said seat backreclines and; a third pivotal connection toward the lower distal end ofsaid seat back tube located below said first pivotal connection and afourth pivotal connection toward the lower distal end of said legsupport tube located below said second pivotal connection and; a meansof connection between said fourth pivotal connection on said leg supporttube and said third pivotal connection on said seat back tube and; saidmeans of connection configured to initiate movement of said leg supportwhen said seat back pivots about said first pivotal connection and;including an anchor point and; an elastomer and; said first harnessconfigured for securing an individual's buttocks and hips and; saidsecond harness configured for securing an individual's torso and; saidfirst harness configured to be connectively engaged by said anchor pointand; said elastomer connectively engaged between said first harness andsaid anchor point and; said second harness configured to be connectivelyengaged with said seat back such that a reclining motion of said seatback causes said second harness to move away from said first harnessthereby pulling the individual's torso away from the individual'sbuttocks and hips and said elastomer provides resistance to movement ofsaid first harness.
 31. The back traction device as in claim 30including a means of connection between said seat back and said legsupport and said leg support including a second pivotal connection andsaid seat back including a second pivotal connection wherein said meansof connection between said leg support second pivotal connection andsaid seat back second pivotal connection is configured to be adjustable.